A chemical
compound found in apple peels, called ursolic acid,
can prevent ‘muscle wasting’, according to
endocrinologists from University
of Iowa.

This finding
was the result of an experiment in which ursolic acid was given to two sets of
mice: one that was well-fed and one that was starved.
After feeding each mouse with the compound, the well-fed mice developed muscles
and had lower sugar and cholesterol levels, while the starved ones did not lose
muscles as expected.

In addition,
researchers studied how the muscles changed during starvation and discovered
that ursolic acid could preventthese changes.

Muscle loss,
also called atrophy, results from lack of physical activity due to agingor
illness.

As of today,
there are no known drugs to cure or prevent atrophy. Through this new research,
experts hope to develop a drug that will help aging or ill patients.

However, the
researchers admit that further studies must be done to determine whether the same
results are applicable to humans. They would also like to know if eating apples
alone would be enough to prevent muscle loss.

Viewpoint
Discussion

Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

·What do you think will
happen if there are no medical researches being done?

·What do you think
are the purposes of medical research?

Discussion B

·How often do you
eat fruits?

·What do you think
are the advantages and disadvantages of eating fruits?